Divided Taunton City Council favors $10,000 raise for mayor

Wednesday

TAUNTON — It looks as though Mayor Thomas Hoye is on his way to getting a raise. But the initial vote by the City Council Tuesday night approving his request couldn’t have been any closer.

The City Council, after a unanimous vote from the three-person ordinances and enrolled bills committee, voted 5-4 to approve the $10,000 raise.

The vote represented the first of three readings required to adopt an ordinance ensuring that Hoye’s base salary will rise from $115,057 to $125,500.

An ordinance is needed because the mayor, who is not a member of a city union, doesn’t have a contract with the city.

The second reading will likely be read into the record next week. A third reading usually is done two weeks after the second.

Since taking office in 2012, Hoye has received two raises, which are always scheduled for ordinance adoption in an off-election year.

The result is that the pay increase goes into effect the following January.

Hoye’s base salary increased from $97,800 to $110,000 in January 2015 and went up another $5,000 in January 2017.

Prior to his first ordinance raise, the only increase in the mayor’s pay was an annual 3-percent consumer price index adjustment.

Councilor Donald Cleary, during discussion of the proposed ordinance, was particularly critical of the motion.

Cleary said it would be “a disgrace” for anyone on the council to assume that it’s “a foregone conclusion” the request for the 8.7-percent raise would breeze through, simply because it was included as an appropriation in the preliminary version of the fiscal-year 2019 city budget.

He suggested that Hoye, who Cleary said, along with his staff, has been doing “an excellent job,” receive less than half that amount.

“I think three-and-a-half to 4 percent is plenty,” Cleary said. “I can live with that.”

Cleary said granting a raise of that proportion would “be unfair to the union people we negotiate with.”

But Councilor David Pottier said when compared to other municipalities Hoye’s request is reasonable and justified.

“I don’t think $125,000 is out of bounds,” Pottier said.

Councilor Deborah Carr said she wanted an explanation as to why the mayor’s salary should be raised by $10,000.

“I at least would like to hear the reasoning why he feels he deserves it,” she said.

The mayor shortly thereafter took to the microphone to explain why he feels justified in requesting the raise.

“I think it’s a fair salary,” Hoye said. “This is a very demanding job, but I enjoy it. And I think I’ve done a very good job in the last six-and-a-half years.”

Councilor Gerald Croteau praised Hoye.

“I don’t look at percentages,” Croteau said. “Mr. Hoye does a great job. It’s a very demanding 24-7 job.”

Councilors voting against the measure to adopt the ordinance included Carr, Cleary, Jeffrey Postell and John McCaul, the latter two of whom did not express their views on the council floor.

Cleary was clearly annoyed when Pottier made a motion, which was adopted, for the full council to vote by way of roll call on the ordinance that specifically and only dealt with the pay raise.

“I understand. It’s politics, all politics,” Cleary said.

Postell later said he opposes the mayor’s pay raise, not on the basis of his performance, but because it sets a poor example in terms of fiscal accountability.

Postell said the city already has its hands full in terms of expenditures when it comes to major infrastructure projects, including the imminent closing of the landfill and possible future construction a new police station.

McCaul said he didn’t speak up at the meeting because he "wanted to listen to their (other councilors) opinions.”

But he said he steadfastly opposes the pay raise.

“These raises are getting out of control — it’s way too much at this time,” said McCaul, who said he also earlier this year opposed giving non-union, 6 percent raises — which were granted, by vote — to Chief of Staff Alyssa Haggerty; City Solicitor Jason D. Buffington; First Assistant City Solicitor Daniel de Abreau; Second Assistant City Solicitor Mark Gould; legal assistant Shannon Valentino; and mayoral secretary Mariann Punda.

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